A Tug in Time
by itsyoboikaylin
Summary: Tuggle is unhappy. How long has reality been so stale? When he took his singularity stone and swore the oath of a he never thought eternity would be so— blah. There is just something missing. He has had all the action anyone could ever wish for. He has transcended the need for riches and earthly pleasures. The only clue for what he needs comes in his dreams— a beautiful red rose.


Tuggle opened his eyes to the same run down apartment he always saw. Turning over to face the wall he sighed. _Why do I even stay here if the first thing I feel is disappointment?_ He thought. Slowly he sat up, cradling his head in his right hand and adjusting to the drearily light of a rainy morning. A leaking spot in his ceiling dripped onto his spongy carpet. He figured it must have rained hard all night.

He stood and stretched his aching limbs. He had drunk really hard last night, and now he was paying the price. He fiddled with the necklace hanging on his chest, and smiled. His friends used to tell him that it was an annoying habit.

A sudden pounding at the apartment door startled Tuggle out of his reminiscing. He had woken up much later than he thought. There would be no time for breakfast.

"Tuggle, I know you're in there!" a booming voice came from beyond the door. The tone sounded as if it could be a hipster or a used car salesman, but Tuggle knew exactly who it was. It was his landlord, Mr. Kennedy, and he sounded as furious as possible. Tuggle tried to calm the situation down while he threw on his clothes.

"I'm sorry Mr. Kennedy. My alarm didn't go off," Tuggle pleaded.

"Oh I'm not falling for that one again," the landlord spoke. "This is the third month in a row. I've got the cops with me, and we are going to break the door down if you don't get your little hiney out here right now."

Tuggle grabbed his long black coat and pulled it on. He head the first thud of the door as the cops began to kick it in. Hopping over a coffee table Tuggle propelled himself down a short hallway and into his bathroom.

"Last chance Tuggle, sir," the landlord mused from the other side of the pounding door. "It's time to pay up!"

"You're right Mr. Kennedy," Tuggle said while slamming the bathroom door shut. "It is time."

Quickly Tuggle placed his thumb in the crack of the black stone attached to his necklace. He heard the door come crashing in as more voices yelled to search the house.

"For the good of man," Tuggle spoke with a hint of sarcasm in his voice before pressing hard against the stone.

The stone shattered explosively with pieces flying off into many directions. The pieces sudden stopped— suspended in midair. The reality of Tuggle's bathroom bent to reflect itself from many varying angles like a broken mirror. Combined with his hangover the whole event made Tuggle a little nauseous.

The pieces began to drift back together, and fell back into place. As the necklace became whole again Tuggle looked up. The bathroom was back to normal and her could hear children laughing as they played in the beautiful autumn's day. He sighed opening up the door and retreating back to the comfort of his bedroom.

The sun was shining though, and the damp squishy part of his carpet was untouched. Tuggle pulled the blinds tight. In the dark once again, he pulled up an anime on his computer and decided to get food while it loaded.

In the kitchen he made some cereal as it was the only real thing he had in the fridge. He walked back, and zoned out to the mindless filth before him.

 _If the time council could see me now they'd lock me up and never let me out,_ he thought while shoving a bite of bland cereal in his mouth. It had been so long since he departed from the council to work more closely with the mortal bounds. He had thought he could do some good, but so far nothing had come of it except this dirty apartment and a love for the Japanese culture.

Tuggle's night continued in the same fashion as the day had started. He played games and watched shows until the world was dark and he finally grew tired. He remained at the computer until he could no longer stand it.

Laying down in his bed Tuggle felt uneasy. His dreams were the only unpredictable moment of his life. The only place where he wasn't completely in control. He felt himself slowly drift away from consciousness.

Tuggle's hazel eyes snapped open, but it was already too late. He sat up in a strange manicured garden. Large shrubs boxed him in on all sides but one. Once on his feet he observed the little flowers placed along the bottom of the hedges. Although this place was beautiful, it made him feel eerie, like something wasn't quite right. He decided to follow the only path available to him.

He walked for what felt like eternity before he came to a dead-end. Feeling the leaves of the shrub, Tuggle began to recall this place.

"A maze," he said. He turned back to see corridors along the hedge walls he had missed before. Yes, it was coming back to him. He began to walk turning down the second opening on his left. Following his gut Tuggle began weaving in and out of various corridors. Something was pulling him.

He hadn't noticed he had been running along the flowers and shrubs. Every direction looked the some, yet he could sense his forward progression. He just had to reach it this time. He wouldn't wake up until he found it.

A strange noise roared out from the peaceful garden. Tuggle turned and could see the rot and death withering the areas he had been in prior. He felt it surround him smothering his consciousness. His Knees gave, and he began to fall to the ground.

 _This is it. I'm going to wake up,_ he thought. This is where the dream always ended. He would fade into the rainy morning, ready to run when he heard landlord pounding on his door. Time had slowed. The ground inched closer bringing him closer to reality.

But he resisted. Something that he had never reached propelled him forward. He was so close now. He placed his hand between his body and the ground and forced his feet back beneath him.

With renewed vigor Tuggle sprinted forward with no concept of where to go. This was all new. He could hear the rot groaning angrily behind him. He wouldn't escape it a second time. He knew his only chance would be to keep running.

In the distance he saw the hedges fall away into a bright light.

"The end," he shouted almost out of breath. The rot was so close he could feel himself drifting back in. Out of options Tuggle lunged for exit. The rot squealed behind him fading as Tuggle closed his eyes.

Opening them, he expected to see his dank nasty apartment, but instead he observed a green open field. In the center he could see a lone bush. It pulled him in just like the force he had felt in the maze.

He approached slowly, half expecting the bush to turn into a horrible monster. Instead as he got closer he could see a single bright red rose.

The flower was the most beautiful thing Tuggle had ever seen. The red shown vibrantly in the warm light, and stood starkly against the green of its surroundings. Tuggle ran his fingers along its silky petals then carefully down it's crisp stem. He was careful not to prick himself on its large thorns.

The light around him began to brighten until white consumed him. That is when he awoke to the dreary sound of rain.

"What was that?" he asked himself out loud. He ran his fingers through his hair still considering how strange the dream had been.

He had had the dream many times before, and usually it quickly left his mind. He had never gotten to the field before. An image of the rose popped into his mind. It was very beautiful, and a bit unrealistic the way it radiated color. It almost seemed painted.

Still perplexed, Tuggle rolled out of bed and got ready. He ate cereal for breakfast, and went to put his clothes on. Putting on his coat, he headed for the bathroom. He heard the first of the landlord's knocking just as he entered the bathroom.

"Tuggle, I know—," Tuggle slammed the door before the landlord could get out another word through the front door.

"For the good of man!" Tuggle shouted, and he went back to yesterday with a rose still in his mind.


End file.
